27th GERRY WEBER OPEN 2019 • June 15th to 23rd 2019

Interview with Roger Federer

How are you feeling about this grass court season warm-up for Wimbledon over all?

Roger Federer: I mean looking back on how I felt three, four weeks ago, this is pretty good obviously. Talking to me after a loss clearly is always tougher to step back and just to reassess how great everything is, you know, after losing. But I must say it’s gotten better and better. The only thing maybe missing is a better baseline game. I guess that comes through movement and through just playing enough again. I feel the serve has come back around now, the returns have gotten better also throughout the match today. And I think if the movement gets better and then the baseline game improves a little bit I’ll be better on the big points, on the return and also I’m going to be hopefully in less trouble on my own service games at time. But, you know, I’m okay and I’m pleased on how I played, how I’m feeling and now we’ve got enough time before Wimbledon to get ready for that.

Do you feel like it was more his performance or missed opportunities on your end?

Roger Federer: I mean it’s a grass court match, you know, where if you miss your chances you pay the price. I felt it was another match like that because I should think I didn’t play that well in the first set, I didn’t make many returns, I didn’t feel comfortable off the baseline at all. I actually started to improve. So, it would have been nice to win the breaker. So, in hindsight that was the key to the match because after that I couldn’t afford any more let-downs and I almost didn’t. I thought he played a pretty good game to break but, you know, just it went well for him and I missed too many chances, maybe they hit the line and I missed the timing but still I should make those shots, I should make him feel more uncomfortable but I wasn’t able to do that. So, I guess at the end, he was just a little bit better and that’s okay. I thought he handled the baseline rallies very well and then obviously he always goes in spells to serve well, return well and that’s why, I believe, he’s going to be a good player.

You talked about rust at the beginning of the week. Do you think that was still an issue regarding your game on the baseline? Is that rust or is it something else?

Roger Federer: Yes, partially. I think there’s little things, that just have to fall into place and then you play better, you feel better. I hope it’s sooner than later and I know what I need to work on in the next ten days. Clearly, I also need to rest now. It’s been a lot of tennis in … this has been seven matches in nine days, or ten days now. So, it’s been intense and it’s been busy and it’s exactly what I needed. At least I have a clear picture now where my game is at, what I need to do and without Stuttgart and Halle I wouldn’t have that. So, I have more clarity now.

You played a couple of Wimbledon finals in a row. Do you feel like you are in the position with the prep you had to have a good run there or do you think it will take more work to get back to that level?

Roger Federer: The final is in three weeks. So, you feel like you have time. But you can’t win Wimbledon the first week. So, I really have to see how I feel you know in the beginning of the tournament. I know the danger of the early rounds in Wimbledon or at any Slam, in particular on the grass, you’ve seen my two losses now on the grass against Thiem and Zverev. Both could have been avoided, they weren’t. So, clearly I got some work to do. The other guys are doing their job well. So, I just have to take the right decisions from now to the start of Wimbledon and once the tournament gets going that I play the way that I want to play, you know, positive, aggressive, mind-set, play the points my way and just be super consistent, make the opponent feel uncomfortable. So, right now, it’s hard to say. I definitely need a rest first and once I get back on practice and by the time the press conferences get rolling out in Wimbledon on Saturday I can probably tell you a whole lot more.